Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Vampire Sanctuary

“It’s true—I don’t have a shadow either,” the old man said, a self-mocking smile on his face.

“People often sneer at or look down on others without ever reflecting on themselves. I believe you first became a vampire to help others, but no matter what your original intentions were, you’re a vampire without a shadow now,” Liu Yunfei said.

“No, I wasn’t so noble. I became a vampire because I was afraid of death. I only begged my father to grant me immortality when I was seventy-eight years old,” the old man replied with striking honesty. Indeed, the older one grows, the more one fears death, the closer one approaches it, the more it terrifies.

“I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t mean to offend you,” Liu Yunfei said, feeling rather embarrassed by the old man’s candor.

“It’s alright. I’ve lived here for centuries without leaving the castle. Everyone’s always busy, and sometimes I can’t even find someone to talk to. No matter who you are, now that you’ve come, you’re my guests. Let me offer you a drink,” the old man said, inviting Liu Yunfei and the vampires to sit beside the long dining table. He set down the candelabrum and turned to fetch a bottle of red wine and several tall crystal glasses.

The old man poured a little of the blood-red liquid into each glass. “Come, my guests, have a taste.”

Liu Yunfei took a sip. Even though he knew little of wine, the rich aroma that lingered on his tongue told him this was a vintage of rare quality.

“The year I first gained immortality, I immediately began brewing a whole cellar of fine wine. By now, it’s been six hundred and twenty-three years. It may well be the wisest thing I ever did in my life.”

For vampires like Rudolf, connoisseurs of pleasure, such wine was no less than nectar from the heavens. They seemed to forget the purpose that brought them here, and even their fears, savoring sip after sip, closing their eyes to relish the taste—and when they finished their glasses, they eyed the bottle with greedy longing.

The old man generously slid the bottle over to Rudolf. “Help yourself. To tell you the truth, I’m no vampire slayer. I’m just an ordinary vampire. I’ve never killed another of my kind—I wouldn’t dare! Besides, my father never allowed me to leave the castle.”

“Isn’t that just like being imprisoned?” Liu Yunfei asked in surprise.

“It’s not so bad. I have my father for company—the one in the portrait—and many others as well.”

“Where are they? Are they here too?” Liu Yunfei looked around.

“They’re in the basement, in seclusion. My father grew weary of this endless existence, so he built a sanctuary below, a place for those tired of life to retreat for a year or even longer before awakening again. My father, my brothers, and many of the elders are all there. Each year, we take turns being awake to stand watch. This year, it’s my turn,” the old man explained, speaking at length, as if he hadn’t talked to anyone in a long time.

“Is your father from China?” Liu Yunfei inquired.

“Yes. My father told the story many times. It was at the end of the Tang Dynasty, when warlords tore the land apart and the people suffered. His name was Gao Renhou, a general of the Tang army. Betrayed by corrupt ministers, his entire family was slaughtered. When news reached him fighting the rebels, he escaped the Tang territory overnight. Luckily, he had friends from the Western Regions who took him west, all the way here, where he met my mother and settled down. That was when the vampire scourge was at its peak. Humanity formed alliances to resist vampires, but their strength was feeble. So my father became a vampire himself, combining his Chinese martial arts with his newfound powers, and later turned my brothers as well. Our family soon became an independent sect of vampire hunters.”

“I’d like to ask—does Henry belong to your family?” Liu Yunfei glanced at the three vampires, whose pallid faces were now flushed from the wine as they vied for the last drops. The female vampire, in particular, looked much healthier with a touch of color in her cheeks.

“You know Henry? That’s not surprising—he’s the steward of our castle now, my brother’s son,” the old man nodded.

“That’s good. I wanted to ask: since vampires no longer forcibly drink human blood, why do you still hunt them? And Henry—he’s not just a vampire slayer. He’s also a kidnapper, a murderer, and a... a rapist,” Liu Yunfei said, feeling like a teacher reporting a student’s misdeeds to their parents.

“Oh? Is that so? We’ve stopped hunting vampires—so long as they do no evil, we leave them be. That’s why my father and brothers have gone into long-term seclusion in the sanctuary.”

“You’ve stopped? Then do you know that tomorrow night, when the comet and the moon align, a vampire can become human again by reciting an incantation?” Liu Yunfei asked.

“I’ve heard the legend. Is it true?” The old man was curious.

“It’s true. My vampire friend here wants to become human again, but he only knows part of the incantation. The rest is with Henry. Even if he were killed, what would that accomplish? Instead, why not help him? The world would lose a vampire and gain an ordinary child,” Liu Yunfei said, pointing at Harry.

“He’s really willing to give up immortality?” Even though all vampires loathed eternal life, few could truly let it go—such is human nature.

“Yes, I can give up immortality. To live a simple life, like a normal person, would be enough for me,” Harry replied, his cheeks rosy, looking more like a porcelain doll than ever.

“If you become human, you know there’s no turning back—you can never become a vampire again, not a second time. Are you sure?” the old man asked.

“I know. I’ve thought it through. I won’t regret it,” Harry said firmly.

“Wait here. I’ll call Henry,” the old man said, moving to the door. Liu Yunfei saw that the rain had stopped, and puddles on the ground reflected pale light.

A clamor of footsteps sounded outside, making the three vampires tense as they glanced at Liu Yunfei. But the footsteps halted at the threshold; only the old man and Henry entered. Liu Yunfei immediately recognized him as the one who kidnapped the young prince aboard the Star Cluster. Rudolf, too, saw that this was Henry, the one who had nearly killed him four hundred and fifty years ago.

Yet Henry didn’t recognize any of them; he only sensed that the three were vampires.

“Well, you’ve got some nerve—three vampires daring to sit here in our castle, drinking our wine. You know, it’s not so easy to get a taste of our wine,” Henry said, swaggering into a seat at the head of the table.

“W-we... we only came to ask you for an incantation. Name your price,” Rudolf stammered in fright.

“Oh, so it’s true? You really want to become human?” This was the first time Henry had met a vampire truly willing to give up eternal life.

“It’s not me—it’s him,” Rudolf said, pointing at Harry.

“Please, I beg you—tell me. I truly wish to become human again. I’m begging you, have mercy,” Harry pleaded.

“Then give me all your possessions,” Henry replied bluntly.

“I don’t have much. I’ve been living with them all this time,” Harry said. With the body of a child, perhaps he truly owned nothing.

“Then there’s nothing I can do. You should know, if I kill you, I’ll get all your belongings anyway—and I can take your power as well,” Henry said, not without reason.

“Is money all you care about? I heard you’d kidnap and even kill for it,” the old man said.

Liu Yunfei’s heart sank. He hadn’t wanted Henry to realize he was the one who’d fought him before—he’d thought Henry’s greed could be handled without turning things ugly. But the old man had spoken first.